Inflated ball and method of its manufacture



Sept. (S, 1938. J. T. RIDDELL INFLATED' BALL AND-METHOD OF ITSMANUFACTURE Filed April 1'7, 1937 I, Patented Sept. '6,

UNITED STATES PATENTYOFF'ICE nwm'mn' BALL AND METHOD or rrs mumcrunnJohn '1'; Riddell, Chicago, n1. Application April 17,1931, Serial No.137,412

6 Claims: (Cl. 154-16) smooth, rounded ridges in its outer surface; to iprovide an inflated ellipsoid article having axially extending bead-likeprotrusions on its outer surface; to provide an improved football havingaxially extending bead-like ridges in its outer sur-' face; to providean improved method of forming an inflated article with bead-like ridgesin its outer surface; and to provide an improved method for providingaxially extending rounded ridges in the surface of a football.

The improvement herein described is particularly adaptable to ballconstructions of the type described in my copending applications, SerialNo. 37,905, filed August 26, 1935, now Patent N0.

V 2,091,455 of August 31, 1937, and Serial No. 44,925, flied October 14,1935 wherein an inflated carcass is first constructed and then an outerprotective covering of leather is applied, the leather being appliedasstrips shaped as segments of thesurface of the finished articlewhlchsegments are laid side by side with their edges in flush abuttingrelationship. It will be understood, however, that the hereindescribedimprovement is also adaptable to other types of ball constructions.

A specific embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawing in which:

. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a football embodying the improvedconstruction;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same but with portions of the outercovering and cementing medium removed to illustrate details of theconstruction; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional viewtaken on line 3-4of Fig. 1 and showing the improved ball construction.

In the form shown in the drawing, the improved ball is constructed byfirst building a carcass I by sewing together segment-shaped strips .offabric material which may be rubber impreg! nated, to form the desiredball shape, the fabric strips being sewed together with outside orexternal French'seams and the carcass then in- .verted or turned insideout so that in the'finished carcass the seams will be turned inwardly.leaving a smooth outer surface. A. slit 2 is provided in the caressthrough which a bladder Sis inserted after which the slit 2 is sewed upand the bladder infiated through a self-healing valve 4, preferablylocated at the side of the carcass opposite the slit 2.

K After the carcass has been inflated to playing pressure, a pluralityof cords 5 are cemented onto the outer surface of the carcass, the cords5 being 5 laid in an axial direction, and being preferably of lesslength than the peripheral distance, between the poles of the carcass.These cords may be made of "any suitable material such ascotton, hemp;or the like, and as shown are preferably 10 laid in and along the seamsbetween the fabric segments of the carcass. The cords are uniformly"spaced angularly with respect to the long or major axis of the ball, soas to maintain balance and symmetry and are preferably of a size so as15 to protrude somewhat above the surface of the carcass.

After the cords 5 have been set in position, the entire surface of thecarcass is coated with a thick layer of liquid latex i, and the latexcoat- 2 ing is smoothed so as to be of uniform thickness over the entirecarcasssurface.

'When the latex coating 6 has been applied, segment-like strips 1 ofleather, comprising the outer covering of the ball, are applied, theleather 25 strips 1 being preferably shaped so that they will mediallyoverlie the seams of the carcassand particularly the seams in which thecords 5 arelaid. The leather strips 1 are cemented to the carcass by thelatex coating i and are carefully 30 smoothed and ironed out so that theedges of the strips I will be in flush abutment with each other. Also,the leather strips overlying the cords i are pressed and ironed downagainst 'the latex coated carcass surface so that the cords 5 35.

will form rounded bead-like protrusions or ribs I on the finishedsurface of the ball.

As shown, the ends of the ball are finished by providing circular,dished leather caps 9 which are placed over the end portions of theball and 40 against which the shaped ends id of the leather segments 'lare arranged to lie in smooth flush abutment.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the leather segment I, overlying the valve 4of the bladder 3, 45 is provided with a small opening I l which locatesthe position of the valve! for reinflation of the bladder should that benecessary. 7

It will now be seen that the improved ball when finished will havedefinite bead-like axially extending ridges or ribs in itsouter surfacewhich ridges will have a rounded, but somewhat fiattened, section asshown in Fig. 3; and that by the improved method of construction, thesaid ridges may be located exactly as desired, providing an IIunobtrusive and suilicient means to facilitate grasping and handling theball. Sucha' ball construction is particularly advantageous whenperforming forward pass plays as in the game of football, the ridges 8providing sufflcient purchase for the player's fingers so that a spinmay be imparted to the ball as the same is being thrown.

Other advantages are found in that the improved ball constructionminimizes fumbling of the ball during play, particularly when the ballis wet. Also, with the hereindescribed improvement, the ridges I on thesurface of the ball are of such shape as not to interfere with accuratepunting or kicking of the ball.

While but one specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown anddescribed, it will be understood that details of the construction shownmay be altered or omitted without departsmoothly against said carcasswhereby said cords form rounded ribs on the external surface of thefinished article.

2. The method of manufacturing externally ribbed playing balls whichconsists in joining together segment shaped strips of material withexternal French seams to form a carcass, inverting the carcass to turnthe seams inwardly, in-- flating said carcass, cementing cords in andalong the said inturned seams on the outer side of said carcass,covering said carcass with cemented on segment-shaped strips of.leather, and pressing said leather strips smoothly against said carcasswhereby said cords form rounded bead-like ribs on the surface of thennlahedarticle.

3. The method of manufacturing externallyribbed playing balls whichconsists in forming a carcass having outwardly protruding surfaceridges, inflating said carcass, cementing shaped stripsof leather ontothe surface of said inflated Hi v carcass to provide an outer casingtherefor, said strips of leather being shaped as segments of theexternal surface of the flnlshed'article, and then pressing said leatherstrips smoothly against said carcass whereby said ridges form ribs onthe sur-- face of the finished article.

4. The method of manufacturingv externallyribbed playing balls whichconsists in joining together segment-shaped strips of material withexternal French seams to form a carcass, inverting the carcass to turnthe seams inwardly, inflating said carcass, cementing cords of lesslength than the said inturned seams land along the same on the outerside of said carcass, covering said carcass with cemented onsegment-shaped strips of leather, and said leather strips smoothlyagainst said carcass whereby said cords form rounded bead-like ribs onthe medial portion of thesurface of the finished article.

.5. The. method of manufacturing externallyribbed' oval-shaped playingballs which consists in joining together segment-shaped strips ofmaterial with external French seams extending in the direction of thelong axis to form a carcass, inverting, the carcass to turn the seamsinwardly. inflating said carcass, cementing cords of less length thanthe said inturned seams in and along the same on the outer side of saidcarcass, covering said carcass with cemented on segmentshaped strips ofleather, and pressing said leather strips smoothly against said carcasswhereby said cords form rounded bead-like ribs on the medial portion ofthe surface of the finished article.

6. The methodof manufacturing externallyribbed playing balls whichconsists in joining together segment-shaped strips of material withexternal-French seams to form a carcass, invert ing the carcass to turnthe seams inwardly. in-

flating said carcass, cementing cords of less length than the saidinturned seams in and along the same on the outer side of said carcass,covering said carcass with cemented on segmentshaped strips of leatherpositioned so that the side edges thereof will be spaced laterally fromsaid cords, and pressing said leather strips smoothly against saidcarcass whereby said cords form-rounded bead-like ribs on the medialportion of the surface of the finished article.

. JOHN T. RmDELL.

